BJP holds meetings for selection of Delhi bypoll candidates

New Delhi: BJP today held several meetings involving top leaders as part of its practice to select candidates for bypolls to three Delhi Assembly seats. Bypolls will be held on Krishna Nagar, Tughlaqabad and Mehrauli

New Delhi: BJP today held several meetings involving top leaders as part of its practice to select candidates for bypolls to three Delhi Assembly seats. Bypolls will be held on Krishna Nagar, Tughlaqabad and Mehrauli seats on November 25. These seats fell vacant after party leaders Harsh Vardhan, Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma and Ramesh Bidhuri were elected to the Lok Sabha.

The three MLAs are expected to play a major role in the selection of the candidates.

While Tughlaqabad and Krishna Nagar have been traditional BJP bastions, Mehrauli choose the party for the first time in 2013. The party must win the three seats again to maintain its lead over other political parties in the assembly.

The first election panel meeting was held today wherein state BJP affairs in-charge Prabhat Jha, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay and other leaders discussed the names of candidates for these seats, said a senior party leader, adding that several other meetings were also held.“The final list of candidates will be sent to Central Election Committee by tomorrow. Thereafter, the picture will get clear.

“State unit chief Upahdyay and organisation general secretary Vijay Sharma have been given responsibility to select candidates for these three seats,” he said.

Meanwhile, there is speculation that the party may field Vikram Bidhuri, nephew of BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri, from Tughlakabad, while Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay, a Councillor from Malviya Nagar, and Sarita Choudhary are ahead in the race for the Mehrauli seat.

Speculation is also rife that Upadhyay will contest from Mehrauli.

The name of Krishna Nagar candidate is expected to be finalised tomorrow.

The name doing the rounds as the probable candidate for the Krishna Nagar seat is that of Delhi unit vice-president Kuljeet Chahal. Besides, Councillor Kavita Jain is also in the race for the seat.

Meanwhile, BJP has divided 14 district teams into three sections to ensure proper preparations for the bypolls.

“Office bearers of all 14 districts have been asked to camp in these constituencies and ensure full preparations.

More than 2,000 workers are expected to be included in the preparation for by-elections,” the BJP leader said.